Galaxy Cluster in Draco: NGC 6340, IC 1251 & IC 1254 | Schulman Telescope

Galaxy Cluster in Draco: NGC 6340, IC 1251 & IC 1254  | Schulman Telescope

NGC 6340 (center) is an unbarred spiral galaxy in the constellation Draco. The galaxy is approximately 55 million light years away. Its most prominent neighbors are the striking blue unbarred spiral IC1251 just to the north, and another unbarred spiral in IC1254 to the north-east of center (up-and-left) with odd dusty bends extending from its core.

Technical Details

Optics: Schulman 32-inch RCOS Telescope

Camera: SBIG STX16803

The 0.81 m (32 in) Schulman Telescope is a Ritchey-Chrétien reflector built by RC Optical Systems and installed in 2010. It is operated by the Mount Lemmon SkyCenter and is Arizona's largest dedicated public observatory. The Schulman Telescope was designed from inception for remote control over the Internet by amateur and professional astrophotographers worldwide. It is currently the world's largest telescope dedicated for this purpose.

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block/Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Caption Acknowledgements: UA/Wikipedia/CloudyNights.com

Image Date: May 1, 2014

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